You're visiting the global website of Knauf Insulation
Company news

Opening of new Knauf Insulation sustainability showcase marks 60th anniversary of Slovenian plant

By Laura Croze
November 23, 2018

Knauf Insulation marked yesterday a double celebration in Slovenia — the 60th anniversary of its Škofja Loka plant and the official opening of a new pioneering sustainable building showcase, the Knauf Insulation Experience Center (KIEXC).

Slovenia, November 23

Knauf Insulation marked yesterday a double celebration in Slovenia — the 60th anniversary of its Škofja Loka plant and the official opening of a new pioneering sustainable building showcase, the Knauf Insulation Experience Center (KIEXC).

Leading Slovenian politicians, policymakers and educators as well as embassy and business representatives attended the opening of the building which is the first in the country to be certified to strict German DGNB standards for building sustainability and one of the first pilot projects to contribute research to the European Commission’s Level(s) initiative.

Level(s) is a sustainable buildings assessment framework – an initiative that many stakeholders, including Knauf Insulation, hope will pave the way for future Europewide building legislation. In addition to contributing valuable research, the state-of-the-art building is a center for sustainable building training and a showcase for some of Knauf Insulation’s cutting-edge solutions including our Urbanscape® Green Roof Solution and Heraklith Wood Wool.

The creation of pioneering solutions has been the hallmark of our Slovenian operation since Rock Mineral Wool production started at the village of Bodovlje 60 years ago under the Termika company name.

Yesterday as part of Knauf Insulation our Slovenian operations are based at Škofja Loka and enjoy an international reputation for the research and development of innovative high performance thermal, fire and acoustic insulation solutions.

Company Managing Director Tomaž Lanišek said: “We proud to be the cradle of development for the manufacture of Rock Mineral Wool for the entire Knauf Insulation Group and we are proud of that reputation for innovation continues today through landmark projects such as KIEXC.”

Jean-Claude Carlin, President of the Knauf Insulation Board, said: “Thanks to Škofja Loka’s pioneering research and development we are the cutting edge of innovative solutions such as sandwich panels, fire-resistant rock Mineral Wool systems and domestic appliance insulation.”

Saša Bavec, former CEO of Škofja Loka and now Director of the newly formed Systems Division and Knauf Insulation’s Marketing Director, added: “Our new Systems Division based at Škofja Loka now enjoys a truly international reputation providing solutions worldwide for customised industrial, technical and green infrastructure applications as well as improved building sustainability analysis through Knauf Insulation Building Science.”

“After 60 years our reputation for innovation goes from strength to strength. Škofja Loka is the base for one of the most exciting sustainable building projects in Slovenia and Bodovlje, where our Rock Mineral Wool innovation began, is today home to one of the most advanced laboratories for the development of stone and glass fibres in the world.”

About the Knauf Insulation Experience Center (KIEXC)

• KIEXC is the first building in Slovenia to be certified to the strict international and independently audited building sustainability standards of DGNB — Germany’s highly demanding Green Building Rating System — and has also been awarded ACTIVE HOUSE certification for sustainable performance;

• The 832-square-metre center is contributing research to a pilot project known as Level(s) a European Commission initiative designed to create better building sustainable standards across EU countries;

• The center will provide an educational base for the latest construction techniques, energy advisory consultations and training complete with virtual reality demonstrations;

• The center was created using digital Building Information Modelling (BIM) and features an Urbanscape Green Roof and wall, six different façade types, two different flat roof designs as well as insulation solutions that offer outstanding fire, acoustic and thermal performance in addition to best practice solutions from project partners including Knauf AMF, Velux, Sika, Semmelrock, Zummtobel, TEM, Alukoenigstahl, Alkam and F. Leskovec;

• The center is categorised as a near zero-energy building with a thermal performance that is 50% higher than that demanded by regulation.

• To learn more about the impact of our new center on the sustainability standards of the future read our Annual Review 2018, follow our blog on https://experiencecenter.knaufinsulation.com/ or visit www.kiexperience.org